A process for preparing organic isocyanate compounds characterized by reacting a chloromethyl group-containing compound having the formula: wherein X, which can be the same or different, is chlorine, alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, phenyl, chloromethylphenyl or chloromethyl, n is 0 or an integer of 1 to 3, and R is an aromatic hydrocarbon radical or an olefin radical, With an alkali cyanate, in the presence of a catalyst composition comprising (a) a cuprous salt in an amount of 0.1 to 20% by weight, based on said chloromethyl group-containing compound, and (b) a tertiary amine compound or quaternary ammonium compound in an amount equivalent to 0.05 to 1.25 gram atoms of nitrogen per gram mole of said cuprous salt, in a high-boiling-point solvent having a dieelectric constant (.epsilon.) not higher than 20, at a reaction temperature of 150.degree. to 250.degree. C, for 0.1 to 10 hours.
Process for preparing .alpha.,.alpha.-dimethylbenzyl isocyanate or its derivatives which comprises reacting the corresponding organic halide in an anhydrous condition in the presence of a specified catalyst with an alkali metal cyanate in an aprotic solvent which forms no salt with a hydrogen halide.
A process for producing tri(allyl isocyanurate) by reacting an alkali cyanate and an allyl halide in an aprotic polar solvent, which comprises distilling off the solvent after the completion of the reaction, adding water or an aqueous solution of hydrogen chloride to a reaction mixture containing tri(allyl isocyanurate), forming a tri(allyl isocyanurate) layer and an aqueous layer and then separating the tri(allyl isocyanurate) layer from the aqueous layer.
Process for preparing an alkyl isocyanate having the isocyanate group bonded to the tertiary carbon atom of the alkyl group, which comprises reacting the corresponding alkyl halide in a substantially anhydrous condition in the presence of a specified catalyst with an alkali metal cyanate in an aprotic solvent which forms no salt with a hydrogen halide.
